Wanderings of a Sleepless Mind
by tomcattabby
Summary: R for sexual content. Briar and Tris realize how much they like eachother... My first fan fic, please r&r! I would love any suggestions you could give me.
1. A Late Night Meeting

"No. Just leave," she murmured as the thought of Briar again entered her mind, "One night without a thought of him is all I ask."

But the night would not abide her plea. Again she awoke with him on her mind. She remembered the way he looked in her dream. Briar was tall and slightly muscular like his usual self, with curly dark brown hair, wild green eyes, and a naughty, self-confident grin. Tris herself was shorter at 5' 5" and was slimming down from her childhood stockiness. Her tightly braided strawberry-blonde hair was slightly unruly from her sleep as she sat up and felt around the cottage with her magic.   
She could sense Daja and Sandry upstairs in their bedrooms, sound asleep. Briar was in his room, but Tris felt his steady green magic as he checked out the shakkan perched on his windowsill.

Briar? She mind-called to him, knowing he was awake.

What? Briar grumbled, unhappy at himself for waking in the middle of the night.

Are you awake? She inquired.

No, Tris. I'm asleep. Yes I'm awake! What did you think?

Grumpy. I was just making sure. Come visit me.

I'm not grumpy! Okay, maybe a little... Why do you want me to visit you?

Because we're both awake, smart one. I'll call in a breeze for us to play with.

Really? I'm there. Briar began to extricate himself from his tangled sheets at the promise of something to do. He hastily pulled on a pair of crumpled pants, abandoned by the side of his bed, and made his way to Tris's room. When he knocked quietly, Tris pulled open the door wearing only her lacy shift that she slept in along with a pair of her un-dyed cotton underwear. She saw Briar's eyes on her chest and bit her lip to keep from grinning.

"Briar?" she questioned.

"Yeah." He quickly answered, pulling his eyes up to meet her stormy gray ones, "I thought you said we could play with the wind."

"You're right. I did," Tris said as she walked over to the window, pulled up the jamb, and brought in a tendril of the cool wind from outside into the stifling cottage.

Even in the spring the weather at Winding Circle was hot, but during the summer the heat became unbearable. The breeze was welcome in the stuffy cottage. Briar and Tris sat under the window, backs to the wall to prop themselves up. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Briar began to fidget.

"Even as a seventeen year old he still acts like he's ten," Tris thought to herself, but to Briar, Tris said, "Why can't you fall asleep?"

"I keep having nightmares," Briar admitted, "Remember when my friend got the spots?" Briar asked, "Well, I keep seeing her, lying on the cot in the hospital with the cracking spots all over her, and grinning like she was delirious. She was delirious..." Tris put and arm around Briar's broad shoulders and squeezed, sensing that silence was the best thing she could offer. Briar leaned his head back against the wall and Tris knew he was trying to hold back his tears while he was in front of her.

"I think I know a way to keep your mind off it, if you'd like," Tris offered. Eager to get his mind off his nightmares, Briar quickly accepted.

"Lay down on your back and don't move, no matter what." Tris surprised herself with what she was about to do, but figured that if she didn't do something now another chance wouldn't present itself for quite a while. As Briar lay down, Tris stood up and walked over to him.

"Close your eyes," She said, anxious, as he cocked an eyebrow then did as she had said. Tris stood over Briar and straddled his hips, sitting down on his flat stomach. She knew he was wondering about what she was doing, but she grabbed one of his hands and began to massage it softly with her thumb and knuckles anyway. As she put it down and was picking up the other, she leaned in and softly kissed Briar, bringing her lips to his. He began to sit up but Tris put a hand to his chest to keep him down.

"Sit still." She picked up his other hand and did the same thing, again leaning in to kiss him, this time he kissed her back, making her put more force behind her gentle kiss. After his hands she moved down to his feet, rubbing the insides of his ankles. She could tell he liked this by the way a blush slowly spread over his cheeks at the bulge in his pants. He sat up but this time Tris did not protest.

He flipped her so that he was on top of her now, and he leaned down and kissed Tris gently on her forehead, moving down to her neck to make a trail from there to her lips. When he reached under her shift she shivered, her nipples growing hard at his touch. He caressed her breast, first one then the other, making circles into the center of her breast where he softly pinched her nipple. When she whimpered softly he knew she was enjoying herself. He was getting more excited by the minute.

He leaned in again to kiss her, wondering how she had never known he liked her so much. This time, Tris felt Briar's tongue at her lips, and she parted them to let him explore the inside of her mouth. When he drew away, she lightly bit his bottom lip, grazing it with her teeth. By now, it was impossible for her to ignore the tight lump she felt through the thin fabric of the shift on her stomach.

"Briar..." she said questioningly, working her way out from under him. She felt down into his pants where he was ready for her, and grabbed a hold of his hardness. She felt him shudder and knew that she was doing the right thing. She ran her finger along the bottom of him, then took her thumb and swirled it around the tip. He groaned, trying to stifle the sound in her shoulder so that the rest of the cottage's residents wouldn't hear them.

When she started to slowly rub up and down his length her shuddered and moaned again, and let his mouth drift to her neck where he softly nuzzled her. When she began to twist her hand around him, slowly then with more force, he cried out from the pleasure and had to bite his fist to stop himself from making any noise. He again bent down to kiss her and she tilted her head up to him. They exchanged another, more passionate, needy kiss. She knew what he wanted and when he lay down on top of her and began to lift up her dress, her thoughts were confirmed.

"No, Briar," she managed through the jolt she felt when his calloused, warm hand touched her bare skin and began to reach down to her opening. He looked at her with a question. "Not yet. Later, I promise. Maybe in a few days."

She saw the disappointment in his eyes, but wouldn't change her mind. She sat up, pushed her shift back down around her legs, and pulled him up with her when she stood. She walked over and lay down in her bed.

"Night," She said, but when he bent down to kiss her again and began to climb into bed with her, she didn't complain. With his warm body at her back and his arm, tight around her to hold them together, she quickly fell asleep.


	2. And When You Wake Up

Tris woke up to the feeling of warmth at her back. She was startled, but too groggy to do anything, when she remembered that she had finally gone ahead and done what her heart had been telling her to do.  
  
"Oh Gods..." she murmured to herself, hoping it hadn't just been a mistake, hoping that Briar hadn't just wanted a quick fling and nothing to do with her. She continued to think it over in her mind when a movement from Briar broke her train of thought.  
  
"Tris?" he whispered, "What time is it?"  
  
"I don't know, Briar," she replied, looking out the window through which the sun had already begun to pour.  
  
"Tris, if it's as late as I think it is, we are both going to be in deep trouble when we get downstairs. Especially if we go downstairs together..."  
  
Tris cursed under her breath, thinking of how to get them out of the sticky situation they had gotten themselves into. Something like this had happened a few months ago when Sandry had brought her boyfriend from Emalen up to visit her. Unbeknownst, of course, to Rosethorn and Lark. When Sandry had come downstairs with him late in the morning the boy, whose name was Ben, was sent away immediately while Sandry was given lavatory duty for the next week.  
  
"If you go downstairs first, maybe, then I come down a few minutes later, they won't notice. It can't be later than seven forty or so... You always get up before me anyways," Tris reasoned, "Maybe if we don't come down together they won't suspect anything."  
  
"Maybe," said Briar, sounding skeptical. We have nothing better though, he though to himself as he began to sneak out to his own room. He quickly ran into his room shutting the door behind him. He pulled from the ground beside his bed a rumpled tunic and shirt, and he began to throw them on while next door, Tris began to collect herself.  
  
Tris walked about tidying up, as she did in the morning, then pulled from her chest-of-drawers a green linen dress that contrasted beautifully with her bright hair, which she began to re-braid.  
  
When Briar walked downstairs he was greeted with a worried look from Rosethorn who asked why he hadn't come downstairs earlier.  
  
"I couldn't fall asleep last night. Neither could Tris, so we sat and... talked... for a while. She may still be asleep," he mumbled as Tris walked cheerily down the stairs, appearing well rested despite her late night activities.  
  
"Well she looks fine," commented Rosethorn, "So you better pull yourself together, boy. We have hard work in the garden this morning."  
  
"Yes ma'am," he grumbled before sitting down at the table to grab a biscuit and honey for his breakfast. Tris joined him and asked for the butter, blushing when her hand bumped against his own reminding her of what they had done the night before.  
  
"Pull yourself together," she thought fiercely to herself, "It's not like he's acting any different." Briar was acting like his usual self, happy and carefree as he got up from the table with half of his biscuit in hand, to walk out to the garden and survey his day's work.  
  
Tris also excused herself from the table to go pull a book from her room and to meet up with Niko for her day's lessons.  
  
"Be careful," she noted to herself to make sure Niko didn't notice a difference in her behavior. "He knows you best. Act normally."  
  
And she tried to do just that.  
  
& lt;& I apologize to the few of you who have been reading this for the discontinuation. I just recently noticed that people were actually reading this... I know this chapter's really short, but it's just to tell you that I'm still alive, as far as I know. If you've got suggestions or the like, please review or email me. Thanks! 


	3. Lessons and a Rainstorm

* * *

Niko called Tris up to the top of the large wall surrounding Winding Circle.  
"I'm coming," Tris grumbled, pulling herself up the steep stairs.  
"Tris, hurry up. I told you I'd teach you how to read the wind today, and we'll have no time... Hurry up!" Niko urged.  
Tris scowled walked the rest of the way up the stairs as slowly as possible.  
"See? That wasn't so hard," said Niko. Tris glared. "Okay Tris. Are you ready?"  
"Yes," answered Tris, leaning against the wall and looking out at the agitated sea. She tried to calm down, guessing her winds might be the thing disturbing the sea.  
"Okay. Draw your protective circle," Niko said.  
Tris took out her vial of oil and drew the circle.  
"Now clear your mind. Start to meditate. Good... Now grab the wind. Pinch it between your two fingers like this. Right. When I say, open your eyes and stretch the wind so it's large enough to see a picture on. Okay. Now the first time we'll do something you probably already know. This will show you your heart's deepest desire. It won't always be the same, but there's chance that it may never change. Do you mind if I watch?" Niko asked.  
Tris shook her head, "No. It's fine," she answered.  
"Thank you. Now, stretch the air and open your eyes."  
Tris did so and saw a swirl of colors, like the Aurora Borealis, play across the surface she had made. The colors started to fade and pull away to show a garden. Tris looked puzzled, and glanced over at Niko.  
"It's not done yet. Wait."  
The plants in the garden began to stir, pulling towards the figure walking towards them. The familiar, unruly dark hair and cocky grin came into view.  
"Tris...?" Niko wondered aloud.  
"It must be a fluke," Tris lied lamely, knowing Niko didn't believe a word she was saying. "I need to go to the bathroom..."  
"Tris, it won't show a human unless you two have... have been... together. Have you...?" Niko stuttered out.  
"Of course not," protested Tris, "Not technically, at least..." she thought to herself. "Why don't we stop for today," said Niko, "Go on..."  
So Tris did, leaving Niko to think about what he had seen. She was surprised that she was not worried about Niko having seen what he did. She actually felt that a weight had been lifted off of her chest. Tris wandered idly, at ease to go wherever her feet carried her. It started raining, though, and not in the mood to get wet, Tris set her path for Discipline Cottage, planning to walk through the back field instead of having to walk all the way around to the front of the house.  
She set off through the damp field, watching the rain sheet off the protective shield she had made. She knew, though, that it wouldn't last the whole way back to discipline House after the morning's experiment had tired her out.  
Tris had begun to near the shed when she began to notice she shouldn't—and couldn't—hold her shield any longer. She started to sprint towards the small wooden structure hoping she wouldn't get wet. About fifteen feet from the shed her shield flickered and began to fade, letting the rain beat down on the person it had been protecting.  
"D'arvit..." she swore in tradertalk, feeling the rain speckle her modest green dress with darker spots as she tried to open the door that appeared to be locked.

* * *

I'm sorry these chapters are so short. I write them out by hand, so when I type them, they're a lot shorter... Also no romance but I'm going to start the next chapter as soon as I post this one. And then you'll get your romance, no worries. Keep reviewing to tell me what you think! -Emma 


	4. Safe from the Rain

Tris braced her whole weight against the door, pushing with all her strength when she suddenly felt the door give. She tumbled through the door onto something soft and warm. She humped up not knowing what she had fallen on when she heard a familiar voice.

"A little help here?" asked the very person she had been thinking of.

"Briar?" questioned Tris, sticking o ut her hand to help up the boy how now lay on the dusty floor. "Why are you here?"

"I was just about to ask the same thing of you, Coppercurls," said Briar, using his nickname for her

"Well?" prodded Tris, "I asked you first..."

"I was working in the garden. Rosethorn headed inside, but I stayed out and to work a little longer. I got caught in the rain and decided to stay here," explained Briar.

"The same thing happened to me," stated Tris, as she relayed her story to Briar. She also told him what Niko knew of their relationship. She explained that Niko knew some of what they had done, but she suspected he thought they had done more than what they really had.

"Well, we could make what he thinks true," suggested Briar, winking at her.

"Briar!" squealed Tris, "How could you say that!" But she betrayed her true feelings by walking towards him, pushing him against the shed's rough wooden wall.

"Is that an invitation?" Briar asked, flirting.

"What do you think?" said Tris, flirting back, while pressing herself against his warm body.

"I don't know..." countered Briar, cupping her firm butt through the dappled, slightly wet fabric of her dress.

"Stop talking," Tris whispered, standing on tip-toe to kiss his soft lips. He turned her around so that she was now against the wall, pressing himself into her and marveling at the feeling of her breasts against his chest.

She kissed him again, running her tongue against the outline of his lips. He shuddered and smiled against her and slipped his hand down the front of her dress. She moaned quietly when she felt his hand on her breast. He began to massage her softly, feeling her nipple harden at his touch, smiling when he saw how much control he had over her.

"It's not like I'll use it, though," he thought, "After last night, it's her turn... No matter how much difficulty I may have doing that."

He continued to massage one breast, moving his idle hand to tend the other as she moaned again and tangled her hands in his dark, damp hair. Tris leaned forward again and, in an attempt to slow things down, kissed Briar, immediately letting her tongue slide into his mouth. She ran along the grooves between his teeth, briefly rubbing her tongue against his before feeling him tense up and become firmer against her hip.

Against her better judgment, doing what her body told her to, she ground her pelvis into his, feeling him groan into their deep kiss. He picked her up and she wrapped her lelgs around his hips, again feeling her back against the rough wooden wall. She dropped her hands from his hair to his biceps, feeling them flex under her fingers.

"All those years of pushing around wheelbarrows has finally paid off," she thought, grinning to herself.

From there Tris brought her arms lower, fiddling with the hem of his brick red tunic. Noticing her fingers, he pulled away from her long enough to bring the tunic and his plain white shirt over his head. Tris looked down at his stomach, seeing that his hard work had been good to him there as well. She stroked his muscles, enjoying watching Briar revel in her touch. He squirmed under hey busy hands which were moving lower by the second.

"Tris..." he forced out, whispering, hating himself for what he was doing, "Please stop." Tris, surprised, immediately dropped her hands to her sides.

* * *

To my faithful few who are still with me: first, to clear up a few things.

yes, I know d'arvit is from Artemis Fowl. I wanted a swearword that wasn't in English and couldn't think of the ones in Tradertalk, so there it is.

To stormmage in particular: please forgive me for the few discrepancies within the books and historically. I haven't read them in a while, so please cut me a little slack.

I'll try to keep updating a little more regularly now, but I'll make no promises. I'm supremely busy with school, but I'll do my best. I have half the next chapter ready, so I'll try to finish it up.

Please keep reviewing!


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